TEC mixer with variable thicknesses

ABSTRACT

A mixer of a bypass turbine aeroengine according to one embodiment, includes circumferential inner and outer flow surfaces in a wavy configuration to form a plurality of lobes of the mixer. The mixer has an upstream end portion of sheet metal with a first thickness and a downstream end portion of sheet metal with a second thickness less than the first thickness.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.13/621,467, filed Sep. 17, 2012, the entire contents of which areincorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The application relates generally to gas turbine aeroengines and, moreparticularly, to an improved turbine exhaust case mixer for suchengines.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

In order to increase the effective thrust of turbojet engines, bladedfans have been added to a turbine driven shaft thereof to effect theflow of a quantity of atmospheric air through an annular bypass ductsurrounding the turbojet. Hot gases from the core engine and the bypassair stream are mixed together before expulsion through a single nozzle.In order to perform the mixing function, turbine exhaust case (TEC)mixers have been devised which include circumferential inner and outerflow surfaces extending between upstream and downstream ends of themixer. The inner and outer flow surfaces have a twist extending towardthe downstream end to form a plurality of lobes of the mixer, each ofthe lobes defining an internal passageway along the inner flow surfacefor the exhaust gases flowing through the mixer and each pair ofadjacent lobes defining therebetween an external passageway along theouter flow surface for the bypass air stream. In order to maintain thestrength of the mixer while minimizing its weight, it has become commonpractice to form the mixer from a single sheet of structural material.However, stiffener rings may be required on the mixer in order torestrain its end motion when the mixer is directly welded on the outerduct of a TEC, particularly in large sized turbine machinery engines, inan effort to avoid durability issues due to mixer vibratory responses.

Accordingly, there is a need to provide an improved TEC mixer.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, there is provided a mixer of a bypass turbine aeroenginefor mixing exhaust gases discharged from a turbine exhaust case, with abypass air stream, the mixer defining a central axis extending betweenan upstream end and a downstream end and comprising circumferentialinner and outer flow surfaces extending between the upstream anddownstream ends of the mixer, the inner and outer flow surfaces having awavy configuration extending toward the downstream end to form aplurality of lobes of the mixer, each of the lobes defining an internalpassageway along the inner flow surface for the exhaust gases flowingthrough the mixer and each pair of adjacent lobes defining therebetweenan external passageway along the outer flow surface for the bypass airstream flowing through the mixer, the mixer having acircumferentially-endless upstream portion of sheet metal with a firstthickness, a circumferentially-endless downstream portion of sheet metalwith a second thickness less than the first thickness, and a weld jointextending circumferentially between and joining thecircumferentially-endless upstream and downstream portions together.

In another aspect, there is provided method for making a mixer of abypass turbine aeroengine, the mixer defining a central axis extendingbetween an upstream end and a downstream end and having circumferentialinner and outer flow surfaces extending between the upstream anddownstream ends of the mixer, the inner and outer flow surfaces having awavy configuration extending toward the downstream end to form aplurality of lobes of the mixer, each of the lobes defining an internalpassageway along the inner flow surface for exhaust gases flowingthrough the mixer and each pair of adjacent lobes defining therebetweenan external passageway along the outer flow surface for a bypass airstream, the method comprising: a) preparing a first group of sheet metalblanks having a first thickness and a second group of sheet metal blankshaving a second thickness less than the first thickness of the firstgroup of sheet metal blanks; b) welding each one of the first group ofsheet metal blanks to one of the second group of sheet metal blanks tothereby form a plurality of integrated blank-pieces each having a firstportion thicker than a second portion; c) shaping the respectiveintegrated blank-pieces into substantially identical circumferentialsegments of the mixer, each circumferential segment of the mixerincluding a section of the upstream end of the mixer formed with thefirst portion of one integrated blank-piece and a section of thedownstream end of the mixer formed with the second portion of said oneintegrated blank-piece; and d) welding together the plurality ofcircumferential segments in a circumferential array to form the mixer ina complete configuration of a nozzle.

Further details of these and other aspects of the described subjectmatter will be apparent from the detailed description and drawingsincluded below.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference is now made to the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a an exemplary bypass turbine aeroengine showing anapplication of the described subject matter according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of two sheet metal blanks to be usedfor making a circumferential segment of a mixer according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the two sheet metal blanks of FIG.2 welded together to form an integrated blank-piece;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the integrated blank-piece of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a circumferential segment of a mixeraccording to one embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of three circumferential segments of themixer welded together in a process of the mixer fabrication, accordingto one embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a complete configuration of the mixeraccording to one embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the mixer of FIG. 7 weldedto the turbine exhaust case, shown in a cross-sectional plane of themixer determined by a central axis of the mixer and one of axial weldjoints extending between a pair of adjacent circumferential segments ofthe mixer; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged portion of the circled area indicated by numeral 9in FIG. 8, showing a weld joint extending circumferentially between andjoining the circumferentially-endless upstream and downstream portionsof the mixer.

It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like featuresare identified by like reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary bypass turbine aeroengine which includesa nacelle configuration 10, a core casing 13, a low pressure spoolassembly seen generally at 12 which includes a fan assembly 14, a lowpressure compressor assembly 16 and a low pressure turbine assembly 18,and a high pressure spool assembly seen generally at 20 which includes ahigh pressure compressor assembly 22 and a high pressure turbineassembly 24. The core casing 13 surrounds the low and high pressurespool assembly 12 and 20 in order to define a main fluid path (notindicated) therethrough. In the main fluid path there is provided acombustion chamber 26 in which a combustion process produces combustiongases to power the high and low turbine assemblies 24 and 18. A turbineexhaust case (TEC) 28 is provided to form a downstream end of the corecasing 13 and a mixer 30 is attached to the downstream end of the TEC 28for mixing hot exhaust gases discharged from the high and low turbineassemblies 24, 18 through the main fluid path with a bypass air streamdriven by the fan assembly 14 through an annular bypass duct 32 which isdefined radially between the nacelle configuration 10 and the corecasing 13.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 7-9, the mixer 30 defines a central axis 34 andis formed with a nozzle configuration around the central axis 34 whichextends between an upstream end 36 and a downstream end 38 of the mixer30, and substantially superposes the central rotation axis (notnumbered) of the aeroengine, as shown in FIG. 1. The mixer 30 includescircumferential inner and outer flow surfaces 40, 42 extending betweenthe upstream and downstream ends 36, 38 of the mixer 30. The inner andouter flow surfaces 40, 42 are in a wavy or twisted configuration (notnumbered) extending toward the downstream end 38, to form a plurality oflobes 44 of the mixer 30. Each of the lobes 44 defines an internalpassageway 46 along the inner flow surface 40 for the exhaust gaseswhich are discharged from the TEC 28 of the aeroengine to flow throughthe mixer 30. Each pair of adjacent lobes 44 define therebetween anexternal passageway 48 along the outer flow surface 42 for the bypassair stream coming from the annular bypass air duct 32 to flow throughthe mixer 30. Therefore, the internal and external passageways 46, 48 incombination establish a vortex system downstream of the mixer 30 toencourage mixing between the bypass air stream and the turbine exhaustgases during operation of the aeroengine.

In one embodiment, the mixer 30 may include a circumferentially-endlessupstream portion 50 of sheet metal and a circumferentially-endlessdownstream portion 52 of sheet metal, as shown in FIG. 8. A weld joint53 extending circumferentially between the circumferentially-endlessupstream and downstream portions 50, 52 joins the same together, therebyforming the nozzle configuration of the mixer 30. The sheet metal of thecircumferentially-endless upstream portion 50 is thicker than the sheetmetal of the downstream portion 52, as more clearly shown in FIG. 9.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 5-8 and according to one embodiment, the mixer 30may include a plurality of substantially identical circumferentialsegments 54. Each of the circumferential segments 54 may include both acircumferential section of the circumferential-endless upstream portion50 and a circumferential section of the circumferentially-endlessdownstream portion 52, and therefore each circumferential segment 54 hasa sheet metal structure thicker in an area near the upstream end 36 thanan area near the downstream end 38. The plurality of circumferentialsegments 54 are joined together by a plurality of weld joints 56, toform the nozzle configuration of the mixer 30. Each of the weld joints56 joins a pair of adjacent circumferential segments 54 and incombination with the central axis 34 of the mixer 30 determines an axialcross-sectional plane of the mixer 30, as represented in FIG. 8 as theplaner surface of the drawing sheet.

The circumferentially extending weld joints 53 may substantiallydetermine a radial cross-sectional plane substantially normal to thecentral axis 34 of the mixer 30, as indicated by line 58 in FIG. 8.

In one embodiment, each of the circumferential segments 54 may includeone complete external passageway 48 as illustrated in FIG. 5.Alternatively a circumferentially-larger circumferential segment mayinclude more than one complete external passageway, for example similarto one presented in FIG. 6 which includes three complete externalpassageways 48. However, the circumferentially-larger circumferentialsegment could be formed with three circumferential segments 54 of FIG.5.

In the above-embodiments shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the opposed side edges(not numbered) of each circumferential segment 54 may be formed onincomplete internal passageways 46, and the circumferential segment 54may include a complete external passageway 48. In contrast to theseembodiments, each of circumferential segments may have opposed sideedges formed of incomplete external passageways 48 (not shown) such thatthis circumferential segment could include at least one completeinternal passageway 46.

It should be noted that in contrast to a progressively wavy or twistedconfiguration of the downstream end 38 of the mixer 30, the upstream end36 of the mixer 30 has a substantially smoothly round or un-twistedconfiguration in order to provide an interface fitting with thedownstream end (not numbered) of an outer duct of the TEC 28.

A method of fabricating such a mixer 30 with variable thicknesses isfurther described below.

Referring to FIGS. 2-9, the mixer 30 may be fabricated with two groupsof sheet metal blanks 58 and 60. The sheet metal blank 58 has athickness A, greater than a thickness B of the sheet metal blank 60. Therespective sheet metal blanks 58, 60 may be in a square or rectangularshape. Each pair of sheet metal blanks 58 and sheet metal blanks 60 maybe placed one adjacent another in an end-to-end pattern and then in awelding process, the weld joint 53 may be applied along the interface ofthe sheet blanks 58 and 60, thereby forming an integrated blank-piece 62including the thicker sheet metal blank 58 and the thinner sheet metalblank 60. The sheet metal blanks 58 in the first group may besubstantially identical, and the sheet blanks 60 in the second group maybe substantially identical, and therefore the plurality of integratedblank-pieces 62 will be substantially identical. The respective sheetmetal blanks 58, 60 may have a substantially similar width such thateach of the integrated blank-pieces 62 formed by a pair of sheet metalblanks 58, 60 may have substantially straight side edges, as shown inFIG. 4. Each of the integrated blank pieces may therefore be arectangular or square shape. The length of the respective sheet metalblanks 58 and 60 may differ, depending on required area ratios betweenthe relatively thick sheet metal blank 58 and the relatively thin sheetmetal blank 60.

A blending process may be conducted to blend the weld joint 53 in orderto provide a smooth transition between the surfaces of the respectivesheet metal blank 58 and sheet metal blank 60 on both sides of theintegrated blank-piece 62. In a shaping process, the respectiveintegrated blank-pieces 62 may be shaped for example by a pressingmachine, into substantially identical circumferential segments 54, asshown in FIG. 5. Such a circumferential segment 54 includes a section ofthe upstream end 36 of the mixer 30 formed by the thick portion of oneintegrated blank-piece 62 (the portion formed by the thick sheet metalblank 58) and a section of the downstream end 38 of the mixer 30 formedby the thin portion of the same integrated blank piece 62 (the portionformed by thin sheet metal blank 60). The shaping process conducted bythe pressing machine may include both a pressing step for shaping thewavy or twisted configuration and a cutting step for cutting edges ofthe integrated blank-piece 62.

As already described, the shaped circumferential segment 54 may includeat least one of a complete internal passageway 46 and a completeexternal passageway 48 but it should be understood that a singleintegrated blank-piece 62 may have a circumferential dimension largeenough to shape a relatively large circumferential segment in order toinclude more than one external passageway 48 or more than one internalpassageway 46. In such a case, the sheet metal blanks 58 in the firstgroup and the sheet metal blanks 60 in the second group and thus formedintegrated blank-piece 62, may be prepared with relatively widedimensions.

In a welding process the circumferential segments 54 are welded togetherin a circumferential array to form the mixer 30 in a completeconfiguration of a nozzle. In such a welding process, each of the weldjoints 56 are applied along the interface of two facing side edges of apair of adjacent circumferential segments 54. It may be convenient foraccess in the welding process, if the interface of two facing side edgesof the adjacent circumferential segments 54 is positioned on theinternal passageway 46 (as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6) rather than on theexternal passageway 48 because the external passageway 48 is radiallyinwardly recessed at the downstream portion of the mixer 30, and is lessconvenient for access with respect to access to the radially outwardlyprojecting internal passageway 46.

Prior to welding the complete mixer 30 to the TEC 28, the upstream end36 of the complete mixer 30 may be cut and blended for a uniform faceready to be welded to an outer duct of the TEC 28 of the aeroengine. Themixer 30 fabricated according to the above-described embodiments has arelatively simple design architecture and saves manufacturing costs. Themixer 30 having variable thicknesses, provides enhanced rigidity whileremaining relatively light weight and therefore may be attached to theTEC of the aeroengine by a single weld joint along the upstream end ofthe mixer 30 without additional support, resulting in reduced part counton the TEC assembly.

The above description is meant to be exemplary only, and one skilled inthe art will recognize that changes may be made to the embodimentsdescribed without departing from the scope of the described subjectmatter. Modifications which fall within the scope of the describedsubject matter will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in light ofa review of this disclosure, and such modifications are intended to fallwithin the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for making a mixer of a bypass turbine aeroengine, the mixer defining a central axis and extending between an upstream end and a downstream end, the mixer having a circumferentially endless upstream portion including the upstream end, a circumferentially endless downstream portion including the downstream end and having circumferential inner and outer flow surfaces extending between the upstream end and the downstream end; the inner and outer flow surfaces having a wavy configuration extending downstream from a location in the circumferentially endless upstream portion and terminating at the downstream end to form a plurality of lobes of the mixer, each of the lobes defining an internal passageway along the inner flow surface for exhaust gases flowing through the mixer and at least one pair of adjacent ones of the plurality of lobes defining therebetween an external passageway along the outer flow surface for a bypass air stream, the method comprising: a) preparing a first group of sheet metal blanks having a first thickness and a second group of sheet metal blanks having a second thickness, the first thickness and the second thickness being respectively constant along an entire length of the sheet metal blanks of the first group and the sheet metal blanks of the second group; b) welding each one of the sheet metal blanks of the first group to one of the sheet metal blanks of the second group to thereby form a plurality of integrated blank-pieces each having a first portion of the first thickness and a second portion of the second thickness; c) shaping each of the plurality of integrated blank-pieces into respective circumferential segments of the mixer; and d) welding together the respective circumferential segments in a circumferential array to form the mixer in a complete configuration of a nozzle with the first thickness being constant along an entire length of the circumferentially endless upstream portion and with the second thickness second thickness being less than the first thickness.
 2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the external passageway is included in one of the respective circumferential segments and/or one of the internal passageways defined by each of the plurality of lobes is included in said one of the respective circumferential segments.
 3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the external passageway is included in one of the respective circumferential segments.
 4. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of integrated blank-pieces prior to the shaping c) is in a rectangular or square shape.
 5. The method as defined in claim 4 further comprising: cutting and blending the upstream end to provide a uniform face ready to be welded to a turbine exhaust case of the aeroengine.
 6. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising between the welding b) and the shaping c), blending a weld joint on each of the plurality of integrated blank-pieces. 